Author: Elan
Listen to this article Tokyo is redefining its engagement with Africa, transitioning from traditional aid-based approaches to strategic venture capital (VC) investments focused on long-term partnerships, innovation and capacity building. Several Japanese private companies are making Japan’s presence felt in Africa’s VC landscape, particularly in high-growth sectors such as fintech, climate tech and mobility. Growing demand for innovative, technology-driven solutions in Africa has drawn increasing interest from international investors. VC funding in Africa rose from over US$2 billion in 2019 to a peak of US$5.2 billion in 2022. Though investment declined to around US$3.6 billion in 2023, the continent’s start-up…
Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. The book was recently shortlisted for the Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Awards 2026.Alexis Caude is the managing partner of Africa-focused investment firm Adenia Partners. In a recent interview with How we made it in Africa, he revealed how he invests his personal money.Caude takes a somewhat conservative approach to his personal investments. He invests in the hospitality sector in Europe and the US, an industry he knows well.He also holds gold and…
Africa brought deals to Washington – the test is whether the money moves. – African Business Africa brought deals to Washington – the test is whether the money moves. – African Business
MTN Nigeria Chief Financial Officer, Modupe Kadri, has charged Nigerian businesses to reject a sense of policy entitlement, build reputable brands that can compete with international companies, and not submit to the ideology of being “local”. He made the remarks while speaking at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) breakfast forum held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Kadri noted that Nigerian enterprises seeking sustained economic expansion must build internal capacity capable of competing globally and not feel entitled to local policies for favour. He charged them to innovate outside the…
Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, has urged African telecoms operators to open their infrastructure through coordinated equipment and spectrum sharing, a move he described as cost-effective and capable of expanding coverage and reaching more customers. The CEO made the remarks in an interview with Arise News on Friday during a Business Report show. Taldar said that telecom operators spend millions of dollars on deploying telecom infrastructure while coverage gaps are still present due to funding limitations. He mentioned that operators can leverage colocation and shared infrastructure to penetrate underserved communities and gain new users. “If the need is…
Taylor Kerns / Android AuthorityTL;DR Google Calendar is getting an update that allows meeting organizers or their delegates to choose whether or not to receive RSVP emails and automatic responses. The new setting is beneficial for organizers who don’t need to be informed about every individual attendee’s response. The gradual rollout starts today for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. Have you ever set up a meeting in Google Calendar and gotten overwhelmed by all the RSVP emails and automatic responses? While it can be useful to know who is and isn’t attending…
For Nigerians traveling abroad, staying connected no longer necessarily means paying expensive international roaming charges or searching for a physical SIM card after landing. An eSIM lets a compatible smartphone or other device download a mobile profile digitally, making it possible to arrange connectivity before a trip. The best option, however, depends on more than headline coverage. Payment methods, destination-specific networks, data allowances, validity periods, hotspot rules, top-up options and whether a plan includes calls or SMS can all vary. For Nigerian travellers, payment is particularly important. Some international providers depend on internationally enabled cards or digital wallets, while Cardtonic…
By Jan Groenewald, Africa Deals Leader at PwC South AfricaDeals have the power to reshape organisations. They can accelerate growth, unlock new capabilities, open doors to new markets, and create opportunities for long-term value creation.Yet transactions rarely unfold in a straight line. What starts off as a compelling strategic opportunity can quickly become more complex. As a transaction progresses, leaders often find themselves navigating valuation debates, integration challenges, technology risks, people issues, tax considerations and competing stakeholder expectations.For CEOs, CFOs, boards and investors, the challenge is no longer simply whether to do a deal. It is how to pursue the…
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested $8 million in the Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II, targeting early-stage technology companies in Nigeria and four other African countries. The investment is expected to support technology startups with strong growth potential in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco and Senegal, as part of efforts to deepen access to growth capital, promote innovation and create jobs across the continent. The EBRD said the investment was made under its Early-Stage Innovation Facility II, a €200 million programme through which the development finance institution invests in commercially oriented venture capital funds. The facility…
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed new rules that would allow it to approve new digital and virtual asset operators, set governance requirements, and gain deeper visibility into transactions, wallets, and the movement of digital assets in and out of the country. The proposed rules, issued on Thursday, would mandate cryptocurrency businesses targeting Nigerian users to register with the SEC, even if they operate from outside the country. The rules cover exchanges, custodians, and virtual asset service providers (VASPs), as well as tokenisation and digital-asset offering platforms. It marks a significant expansion of the SEC’s approach to regulating…